Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve McCabe and Nick Clegg

Tuesday 20th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

We have said that there is a sort of double trigger. First, whether in law or otherwise, we need some kind of approximate understanding of what constitutes serious wrongdoing. I do not think anyone would want this recall mechanism to be triggered for frivolous reasons or for partisan point scoring. The second trigger is that 10% of constituents sign a petition calling for a by-election. It is that basic design that we are still working towards.

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

Does the Deputy Prime Minister think that reneging on a solemn election pledge is serious wrongdoing?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

It is almost as serious as destroying the British economy, which is of course what the Labour party did when it was in office.

House of Lords Reform (Draft Bill)

Debate between Steve McCabe and Nick Clegg

Tuesday 17th May 2011 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

That is a rather good argument for the case, which was criticised earlier, of non-renewable terms: such Members will not stand again or, of course, in the same constituencies. We will have constituencies—certainly, after the boundaries are changed—where each of us represents just over 70,000-odd; they will seek to represent half a million-odd. It will be a completely different contest, held on a different mandate, under a different system, for a different term, and I believe that millions of British voters will be easily able to distinguish between one and the other and to keep the two separate in their own minds.

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

I think that this is the wrong priority at the wrong time, but if the Deputy Prime Minister is confident that we need another constitutional adventure, why does he not test whether that is the will of the House?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The final Bill, which we will bring forward after it has been subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee of the two Houses, will come to this House for a vote.

[Steve McCabe]

Now. I mean now.

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman says “now”, but we have been criticised in the past for pushing forward with changes too quickly and not subjecting them to sufficient scrutiny. What we are doing now is moving very deliberately, very methodically and as consensually as possible, presenting a Bill with our best guess of what would work legislatively; keeping the options on some key issues open in the White Paper; and then inviting a cross-party Joint Committee to subject that to full scrutiny in the months ahead. I do not think that we can be criticised either for moving too fast or for seeking to escape from proper scrutiny.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve McCabe and Nick Clegg

Tuesday 30th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

1. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of coalition Government under the UK’s constitutional arrangements.

[The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg)]

The coalition Government are sorting out the mess they inherited from the previous—[Interruption.] This always gets Opposition Members going from the beginning. The coalition Government are sorting out the mess they inherited from the previous Administration, including a woefully unreformed political system. That is why we are giving power back to Parliament by establishing five-year fixed-term Parliaments, why we are offering the public a choice, for the first time, on using a different and fairer electoral system, and why we will create fairer, more equal-sized constituencies in time for the next election.

--- Later in debate ---

[Steve McCabe]

I feel so let down, Mr Speaker.

In her paper comparing the coalition to a difficult marriage, Miss van der Laan advises Back Benchers that they should

“never take advice from those who have secured Government jobs because their self-interest clouds their judgment.”

Is she right?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I think the hon. Gentleman asked, “Is he right?”, but Lousewies van der Laan is a lady; I think we should get such facts right. As I have said, two parties have come together to repair the damage left by one; it is as simple as that.